If I'm a Hero
by ninetytwochairsonetable
Summary: "Izuku was perfect. And he was everything Katsuki was not. Katsuki decided he could never be perfect." A kind of AU kind of thing, a sort of exploration of a character (Bakugou Katsuki). Rated T. Because bad parenting and language.
1. Oneshot

Hi. I don't know too much about BNHA, I only read a bit of it. But I have many mixed feelings about the story and the characters.

So I wrote this. Bakugou Katsuki will be somewhat different from canon. Also, I don't mean to villainize Mitsuki. She's a first time parent, who is bad at parenting and emotions, and rather ignorant of her child's state of being. Which isn't okay. But she tries. Keep that in mind when reading this, thanks. Also, I wrote this while sick, so I was kinda out of it. If you see any mistakes, confusing parts, etc, please feel free to message me.

My Hero Academia belongs to Kōhei Horikoshi. I am not profiting from this. Thanks for reading.

* * *

**If I'm a Hero**

It was a little known fact that Bakugou Katsuki cried more often than he would have liked. It wasn't his fault. It's not like he even tries to cry. In fact, he tries not to. But crying was his body's automatic response to stress and frustration.

And Bakugou Katsuki was, more often than not, stressed and frustrated.

* * *

As a young child, he was quiet. For the most part.

He'd stay quiet, observing everything around him with only a few muttered words, until someone came and pushed his buttons. Then he'd explode into a tiny ball of rage and screaming. Sometimes, he wouldn't even scream words. He'd just yell and scream, because that was the only way he could express the emotions within him.

Oh. That and crying (in secret). He wasn't a fan of how he reacted. No one was.

* * *

There was a new neighbor one day. The Midoriya family. It was a mother and her son. They came by the Bakugou residence to introduce themselves.

"Good morning! My name is Midoriya Inko. We just moved in yesterday," said the woman. She had green hair. So did her kid. The kid who was trying to disappear behind his mother's legs.

"Oh my! Hello, I'm Mitsuki, and this is my husband, Masaru. Is that your son?" the Bakugou matriarch replied with a beaming smile.

"Yes! Come say hello, Izuku," his mother encouraged with gentle smiles and even gentler nudges. The child (green eyes, very green) hesitantly peeked out from behind her legs.

With a shaky voice he said, "Hello. My name is Izuku."

"Aww, how adorable!" Mitsuki cooed down at the soft spoken child. She turned back toward the house and yelled, "KATSUKI! COME DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

To answer her shout, another shout came down, "SHUT UP, I'M COMING!"

Another young boy showed up at the gathering. This one was frowny and scowling, looking like he'd rather be anywhere but there.

"You little brat. Come and say hello to our new neighbors," Mitsuki scolded. Her son's face scrunched up in distaste. He didn't like talking, but he didn't like his mother yelling at him the most.

"...Hello," he mumbled out after a few seconds.

* * *

That was how they met. Izuku and Katsuki. They were… close. In a way.

Well. They were friends.

Kind of.

Izuku was Izuku. A kind, gentle, soft child.

Katsuki was not Izuku. He was violent, rough and brash, no filter on his mouth.

* * *

"Kacchan! Kacchan! Look! All Might is on the telly!" little Izuku exclaimed with pure joy, hoping to share his excitement with his best friend (only friend). Katsuki came over with some reluctance, wishing his companion was just a bit quieter in his enthusiasm.

All Might, the most famous and popular and the greatest Hero ever. The guy was on TV, smiling and laughing as usual. He always smiled. In Katsuki's mind, smiling meant happiness, which meant All Might was always happy.

He glanced over to his left, looking at Izuku's face. The boy was also always smiling. That must mean Izuku was always happy.

Which meant…

Katsuki was always unhappy.

He thought about that a lot.

* * *

Katsuki liked to play in the park or the woods. Anywhere with trees and no one else. Izuku tagged along sometimes, but Katsuki didn't mind as long as he kept quiet. Izuku mumbled under his breath a lot, which unsettled Katsuki a bit, not at least he was quiet.

He climbed trees, jumped in puddles, splashed in rivers, overturned rocks. All the typical activities to do in a wooded area. Izuku tried to follow without being as reckless.

Katsuki often came back home dirty.

Izuku was, more often than not, still clean and tidy.

"KATSUKI! You got all dirty again?! You little brat! Why can't you be more like Izuku?" his mother would tell him sometimes (a lot, she told him a lot).

He hated it when she yelled. When she yelled, she did not smile. When she yelled, he could not smile.

He wanted her to stop yelling and smile and be happy and love him like how Aunty Inko loved Izuku.

* * *

The next time Katsuki went to the forest, he went alone. He didn't scrape his hands against tree barks. He didn't jump in any puddles and rivers. He barely even poked at the rocks. He was all clean and tidy. He did pluck a few leaves to stick in his hair. So he could be green.

Just like Izuku.

* * *

She didn't like the leaves.

* * *

At school, Katsuki would observe Izuku. The kid was quiet, but so was Katsuki (mostly). He did his homework and listened in class, just as Katsuki did too. He didn't think they were so different he had to be like Izuku.

He couldn't understand.

* * *

Izuku didn't stand up for himself. If anyone had picked a fight with Katsuki, he'd retaliate fourfold with a vengeance. Izuku just took it. So Katsuki did too.

He'd come home with scuffs and rumpled clothes, cuts and scrapes across his skin from all the hits and shoves he took.

"Why didn't you stand up for yourself?! If anyone bothers you like this, you need to fight back!"

* * *

Izuku was perfect. And he was everything Katsuki was not.

Katsuki decided he could never be perfect.

It bothered him (much more than he let on).

* * *

He gave up eventually. Going back to his routine of tumbling in the forest and getting into scuffles. Sometimes, he'd join in the fight with the kids picking on Izuku. Because despite everything he felt, Izuku was his friend.

* * *

And then he got his quirk.

It was pretty. Sparking up in the palm of his hands. It was great. Everyone said so. Even Izuku. Even his mother said so. And she smiled and said she was proud of him.

Katsuki smiled. He was happy.

* * *

And then Izuku never got a quirk. He was very upset and despaired even with a smile plastered on his face. He smiled, but he was not happy.

Katsuki didn't understand. Even without a quirk, Izuku was Izuku.

He was kind, gentle, soft. He was still perfect.

Katsuki felt as though nothing had changed. (His unchanging attitude was something Izuku greatly appreciated. He never said so, so Katsuki never knew how much Izuku treasured their friendship.)

* * *

While wandering through the woods, dunking his hands in the cool river, a sudden thought popped into his mind. It was a shocking revelation.

Katsuki had a quirk. Izuku did not.

Izuku had a loving mother. Katsuki…

He decided that was why.

All because of a bunch of pretty little sparks in his hands. From that day on, they were no longer pretty. He hated them, and with teary eyes, decided not to use his quirk.

* * *

It was hard. Not using his quirk. It was involuntary. He couldn't help getting sweaty. The sparks were no longer little flickers. They began to grow into something more explosive. His days were full of smokey surprises and burns on his hands.

His teachers scolded him.

His classmates laughed at him.

His mother did not smile.

* * *

It eventually got to the point his explosive nature started getting comments from everyone. Classmates, teachers, strangers… They all muttered to each other, glancing with hard stares at Katsuki as he walked by.

"Quirk and personality fit for a villain."

(He ran away to the trees and cried.)

At least those comments forced him to use his quirk. To control it.

He hated the heat that burned his hands and raced up his arms.

He hated the smoke that choked his lungs and bit his eyes.

And especially, he hated the sound. The loudness. The ringing in his head. He hated it all.

But he had no choice.

* * *

Seeing Izuku made him feel uneasy. Perhaps unhappy. Which was weird, because seeing friends was supposed to make people feel happy.

Katsuki decided they were not friends. And besides, someone so perfect shouldn't hang around someone like him.

(Izuku noticed the growing distance between them. But he was too soft to do anything about it. He thought his friend just needed some space.)

By the time middle school came around, Katsuki went to another school and spent his days inside his home to study. Izuku hardly ever saw him anymore.

* * *

The days of rolling around in the grass and the river banks was now behind Katsuki. He left it all behind. Abandoned his childish behavior and took up excessive studying and training his quirk. He noticed being the best made his mother smile more. So he worked harder and harder to be the best.

Because he wanted her to smile at him and tell him nice things.

And he decided to become a hero. Just like All Might. Because if he was the best at being hero, then his mother would smile at him. Because everyone loved heroes.

And that's what he wanted.

* * *

Izuku was there. At UA High School. The school for heroes. That pretty much require a quirk. And Izuku was there.

When Katsuki saw the boy from his childhood demonstrate a quirk of phenomenal power (like All Might), he stood up without thinking and marched toward the boy, face blank from incomprehension. Or at least, he tried to. The teacher, Aizawa, stopped him, thinking Katsuki was going to pick a fight (because everyone said Katsuki was villainous and reckless and mean and horrible. At this point, Katsuki wasn't even sure where this reputation came from). He wasn't going to, but said nothing and sat back down.

* * *

Izuku said something. Explaining about how he got his quirk. And other things that Katsuki did not understand. Could not understand.

"Kacchan?" Izuku, hopeful of reconnecting with his friend, was concerned by his silence.

"Okay," Katsuki said after a beat.

"Okay?"

"Okay." And he walked away, leaving the other boy confused.

* * *

Katsuki walked away. And walked. And walked. He walked past the station. He walked all the way home. He didn't stop at his home. He walked to the forest and sat at the river bank, uncaring if he got wet. He sat and had a sudden thought.

Izuku had a quirk. He had always been perfect. Now everyone can see that.

It wasn't the lack of quirk that made his mother always compare them. It was because Izuku was perfect and Katsuki was not Izuku.

He dunked his head into the water and screamed and cried. He wanted to drown and disappear into the depths.

Something in him broke.

He decided Bakugou Katsuki was not destined for great things.

He decided Bakugou Katsuki could not be loved.


	2. Part 2

I didn't plan on this but as I was getting ideas for Naruto, this crept up. So yeah. Still don't know anymore about the series than the last time I wrote about this.

My Hero Academia belongs to Kōhei Horikoshi. I am not profiting from this. Thanks for reading.

* * *

Part 2

Class 1-A was fun. His classmates were all interesting characters. And he was one of them. They could be friends.

But of course some dipshit from his neighborhood, who was also attending UA, decided to piss him off that morning at the gates. Katsuki held his tongue but dipshit's cronies came and egged him on. Katsuki blew the fuck up and screamed. There were a lot of students around, and they all saw and heard. And those wretched whispers started again. Like every beginning of a school year.

"Who's that?"

Nobody, fuck off.

"That's Bakugou, heard he's got a nasty temper."

Only because people purposefully test his patience.

"He has a really obnoxious quirk."

It ain't his fault.

"I heard he's like a _villain."_

I'm not I swear I'm not.

But no one listens to Katsuki.

* * *

Of course, some students of 1-A saw the commotion and slapped labels and expectations on the back of his head. He felt their eyes and heard their poison. (Katsuki's hearing wasn't great, but those assholes didn't even bother with subtlety.)

"Good morning, kacchan!" It was Izuku, voice wavering, tapering off into uneasy silence. Katsuki put his head down, refusing to look at anything other than the wood grain of the desk. His classmates saw this little bit of interaction. And because he was Katsuki and Izuku was Izuku, the usual whispering started again.

"That's so rude of him"

"How could he be so mean to the poor guy?"

"Tsk, he's not gonna make any friends with that attitude."

Meanwhile, Izuku looked frantically about the room, stuttering out something like a defense for his friend (were they still friends? Katsuki didn't think so but Izuku was pushing for it), but it fell flat and awkward. It made things worse for Katsuki, but he couldn't begrudge the green boy for that. At least he tried.

Katsuki was done trying.

* * *

During one of their classes, they had to write an essay on why they wanted to be a hero. Katsuki's answer was simple. He wanted Mitsuki to love him. But they were required to write at least two pages. That evening, he worked late into the night to try and expand on his answer, but by the time he turned in his essay, he had written two pages of lies. But it was okay, because only he knew he lied. No one had to know that.

* * *

They had a simulation run in which the class was divided into heroes and villains. It was like those games kids played at the playground, except Katsuki never had such friends to play with.

And of course he's assigned a villain. He tried not to think too much on that and pretended they were playing knights and monsters (and he was the knight defending the village).

Iida was loud and animated. It made Katsuki wary, but they were a team. Then Iida got _really _into it. Instead of further planning out strategies, he began composing a villainous speech. And it was fun. Iida was so over-the-top and enthusiastic in his role, Katsuki ditched his gloomy mindset to enhance Iida's villainy.

"And you, dear heroes, will meet your grim demise today! MWAHAHAHAHAAA!" Iida yelled across the room. Ochako and Izuku were trying their best to hold their laughter but then Katsuki stepped out from behind Iida with his own bit.

"We are going to kill you, because we are villains! MWAHAHAHAA!" Katsuki's normal speaking voice never held much influctuations so his line was delivered monotonous and strange. It made it even funnier. The heroes couldn't stop laughing as they rolled around on the floor, clutching their stomachs, desperately trying to catch their breaths. That's how the villains won. Katsuki decided that was a fun day.

* * *

Katsuki thought they both did well, but for some reason, Iida was still well liked and Katsuki was still an outcast. Sometimes he'd catch Iida looking at him, but the boy would quickly look away. Perhaps even the rule keeping child deemed him a danger to the classroom.

Katsuki didn't want to find out so he'd also look away quickly.

(Unknown to Katsuki, Iida had also grown up with very little friends. The children his age thought him too strict and boring and weird to play with. Iida simply kept his head forward and marched toward his goal so that one day, he could stand next to Ingenium as a hero. When he and Katsuki played villains, Iida had the greatest time of his school career.

And he wished to feel it again.)

* * *

Walking through the halls, Katsuki heard a passing conversation about a student in class 1-C with a "villainous" quick. Apparently no one wanted to talk to him. Hope bloomed in Katsuki, that maybe the student was lonely enough to be friends with Katsuki (because Izuku was never an option. The green child had so many new friends here. Bakugou Katsuki would only ruin that).

Shinsou Hitoshi had heard of Bakugou. He was supposed to be loud, explosive, arrogant, and downright nasty. So imagine his surprise when the notorious student of 1-A stood before him with his lunch.

"..." Hitoshi didn't know what to say.

"..." And apparently neither did Bakugou.

"...What do you want?" Hitoshi asked cautiously. Was this a prank? Did he lose a bet or some shit?

Bakugou said something so quietly, Hitsohi doubted even mice could hear.

"You gotta speak up."

"Can. I…" Bakugou paused, eyes darting, searching for words. "Sit next to you and eat lunch?" Hitoshi's eyebrows shot up in legit bewilderment. Perhaps he was silent for too long, because Bakugou's eyes twitched a couple times before he began to walk away.

"Hey, wait, you can sit," Hitoshi decided to spare the boy of whatever disappointment (shame? embarrassment?).

And that started a strange, awkward, silent lunchtime relationship.

* * *

The silent duo somehow turned into a trio when Iida found them and decided to join. It seemed nobody knew what to say, because for the next few days, no one said anything as they ate.

* * *

Katsuki loved Masaru. His dad never failed to tell him "I love you, Katsuki" every morning without fail and every night, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Katsuki wondered if dad's love was enough. That it was okay without Mitsuki's love. Because even though he didn't have a mother's love like Izuku, Izuku didn't have Masaru's love.

And he'd keep thinking and thinking about what's enough and not enough. Thought about that broken _something _in dad's eyes that reached out to him. Connected with him. A strong common factor that only they understood the complete depth of.

Katsuki wondered if Masaru wanted Mitsuki's love too. After all, he'd never heard her say "I love you" to either of them. (And neither had the courage to ask if she did.)

* * *

"Katsuki, how is school?" Masaru asked his son. They were hanging out at the mall on a weekend. A nice father-son bonding time, spending the day by sitting on every single bench in the mall. Masaru was not yet prepared to ask for a family outing, but maybe one day soon.

"School is fine. I kicked Mineta the other day, and his head got lodged in the ceiling," said his son.

"That's nice. Did you make any friends?" Masaru knew not to bring up Izuku. He didn't know what happened, but Katsuki got upset whenever the Midoriyas were mentioned.

"I eat next to Iida and Shinsou during lunch. Does that count?"

"It has potential. Why don't you ask them their favorite hero or about their hobbies next time?"

"Okay," Katsuki smiled. It was a small, quivering thing, unsure of itself.

* * *

Masaru didn't smile much either. But he tried for Katsuki, and Katsuki tried for him. But when they were away from each other, smiling was a foreign concept. Because why should they smile if they were not happy?

Despite his appearance and surface personality, at the core, Katsuki was more like his father. Soft and vulnerable, hiding beneath a cloak of indifference, unable to understand the puzzles of the world that everyone else seemingly understood from birth.

* * *

During one usual awkward lunch, Katsuki cleared his throat. Iida and Shinsou startled at the sudden break from routine, turning wide eyes toward their companion. Katsuki cleared his throat a second time before asking, "Who is your favorite hero?"

After a beat of silence, Iida answered, respectfully and to the point as always, "My older brother, Ingenium! I look up to him very much!" He kept his hand gestures to a minimum.

"That's pretty cool. I like Mirko," Shinsou replied. "It's fun to see her beat the shit out of bad guys." The boys nodded. It really was fun whenever she appeared on TV.

"How about you, Bakugou-kun?" Iida asked.

"I like Present Mic."

"Oh? I heard Midoriya-kun once mention you really like All Might," Iida said, watching as Katsuki's face did a weird thing at the name.

"When we were small. I like Present Mic more right now," he answered.

"What changed?" Shinsou inquired.

"I like his smile better."

From an open window a few floors up, Aizawa was napping under a desk and happened to hear that bit. He decided to look at his students in a new light. Erase all preconceptions that may have clouded his eyes.

* * *

The class was running the track with quirks allowed. They were supposed to run for as long as they could before they dropped. Iida looked happy, lapping all the students multiple times as he made weird train noises. Aizawa was watching and recording times from the bench. He realized Bakugou used his quirk very sparingly despite sweat streaming off him with every step (quite frankly, it was kinda gross). Some students who had dropped sat nearby, chatting amongst themselves.

"Tch, Bakugou thinks he's better than everyone. He's not even using his quirk. What's he tryna say?"

There were murmurs of varying agreement.

Aizawa looked back toward the explosive child. There were too many of his classmates around him at any given point to safely use his quirk. He turned to the students sitting next to him, "If you have the energy to gossip, you can run. Go. Now."

* * *

"How did you first find out about your quirk?" Iida asked during another semi-awkward lunch session. "Mine was kind of obvious. My legs got really itchy, and Tensei was nearby to help."

Shinsou hummed, "This kid was bothering me and I really wanted him to go away. No one came near me that day." He didn't mention the rest of the year. And the years after that.

"I was walking down the street when a police officer thought I had illegal fireworks and called my parents."

That was pretty funny. The boys had a good chuckle out of that. Shinsou sobered at the topic of quirks. "I don't really like my quirk that much," he admitted.

"Why not?" Iida asked.

"Because it's a villain's quirk."

"There's no such thing as villain's quirk," Katsuki looked just as confused as Shinsou. Iida was confused via mood osmosis.

Katsuki continued, "There's no such thing as hero's quirk either."

"Yes, that makes sense," Iida agreed. "Quirks are merely abilities and tools one can use to achieve a goal. What they're used for defines the users, not the quirks themselves."

Shinsou liked this weird lunch group.

* * *

Katsuki didn't want to participate in the sports festival. It was too loud and crowded for him. And to make things worse, reporters and cameras and audience… It was just too much. So he told Aizawa he'd rather sit out, but apparently it was mandatory. Katsuki was about to call bullshit when his teacher suddenly leaned forward as if to tell a secret.

"I'll get you something cool if you get to the top 3," he stated and walked away like an asshole. Katsuki didn't want to participate, but the mysterious promise of "something cool" was alluring.

(Honestly, Aizawa just wanted to show off his top students. He made stupid bets with the other staff members, and he wanted to _win._)

* * *

Before their match began, Ochako looked Katsuki straight in the eyes and said, "Bakugou-kun! Please fight me with all you have!"

Katsuki saw fire in her eyes and answered with as much seriousness he could muster, "Okay." It was difficult because his anxiety was off the charts, he could barely hear shit, and it's hard to shove much emotion into one word.

Mitsuki once said not everyone has nice skin like her and Katsuki, so he should be careful if he plays rough. He was like, seven years old or something, but for some reason, that was the life advice he decided to take to heart.

He still blew up the damn arena fighting Ochako.

His blood pressure rose with every jeer from the crowd. Katsuki gave it his all too, so why weren't they cheering? It grated on his nerves. He thought it'd be fair to get first place if he fought the audience and won, but Midnight and Cementoss were staring at him, so he just got the hell off the field.

* * *

Todoroki left him off-kilter. Katsuki didn't know what to think of his opponent's intentional restraint against him. Todoroki didn't hold back against Izuku. Was this another sick comparison between them? That Izuku was worthy of effort and respect and Katsuki wasn't?

As he was announced champion, Katsuki just wanted to go somewhere quiet. He could feel his body tremble and his eyes tear up. He just wanted to go cry somewhere he could be alone. So he didn't even care it was All Might dragging him to the podium as he screamed and kicked, clawing for his freedom.

And there he was, humiliated on national TV.

A reporter shoved a microphone in his face while yelling "Bakugou Katsuki! Do you have any words on today's event?"

"Kill me now."

No one listened.

* * *

Aizawa was grading papers when a somewhat distraught and definitely pissed off Bakugou came marching up to him and held out his hand.

"I was top 3. I want the something cool," he demanded. Aizawa looked blankly at him a moment before putting his own hand in the student's. Because they were both socially inept fools, they stood there holding hands for a few seconds.

Bakugou narrowed his eyes. Aizawa could see the gears churning at the speed of sound, but in the wrong direction.

"I guess you're cool," he muttered.

"Thanks, but it's not me." What the hell is he doing.

* * *

Aizawa dragged the kid to the teachers' lounge. Bakugou stared at him suspiciously, like he was trying to get the kid in trouble or something. Hahaha. No.

The door slid open to reveal a mostly empty room. Mostly because there was one person in the room. His headphones were blasting music so loudly, even the two newcomers could hear it.

"Wasssuuuuup~" Present Mic paused his music while twirling his chair around to face them. Bakugou still looked weirded out, and it was time to wipe that stupid expression off his face.

"This is Bakugou Katsuki from my class. He's your number one fan," Aizawa said and fell face flat on the couch. He was out before he even hit the couch. It was an amazing thing to see.

Katsuki wanted to blast the man for manhandling him into this situation.

He got a premium special edition figurine and an autograph though, so yeah. It was pretty fucking cool.

* * *

Izuku really wanted to talk to Kacchan. He wanted to know why their friendship fell apart. Why Katsuki always looked so sad. Why he didn't smile. Why he didn't bother defending himself against nonsensical accusations. What happened to the fiery child from before?

But high school was a rush everyday. Izuku made so many friends! And they all had a common goal and it was amazing! And And And!

He rarely saw Katsuki at the cafeteria. Katsuki was always out the classroom before him. He had no opportunity to chat.

So one day he decided he needed to get off his ass and do some investigation. Through said investigation, he found Katsuki, Iida, and some unidentified student. Izuku brightened up and stepped toward the boys, a greeting on his tongue, when he caught a glimpse of their expressions. There was murder in their eyes.

Izuku did an impressive 180 turn and made a strategic retreat.

(The boys were caught in an intense staring competition.)

So Izuku came back the next day. The boys were in a heated argument about something or other, and Izuku didn't want to get caught in the crossfire. It looked dangerous. Perhaps another time...

(The boys were animatedly discussing the ultimate Iida, which was Tenya and Tensei combined together to activate full engine mode.)

* * *

'Finally!' Izuku cried with relief. 'Finally I can talk with Kacchan!'

The location, however, was far from ideal. The moment class was dismissed, Izuku literally launched himself to his victim, trapping him to his seat. Of course, to do that, Izuku had to contort to an awkward and uncomfortable position. Their classmates were startled and were staring. Kacchan was sweating from discomfort. Izuku felt bad, but this was his God given chance.

"KACCHAN, CAN WE PLEASE TALK PLEASE!?" he didn't mean to be so loud. His nerves were shot and he wanted to make sure Katsuki heard him. Good thing he did, because repeating that would just make him self-conscious. Katsuki very stiffly nodded his head up and down while his hands crackled from the sweat.

"OKAY, I'LL SEE YOU AFTER SCHOOL, OKAY?!" Another stiff nod, and Izuku set him free to dart out the room.

* * *

Izuku and Katsuki stood six feet apart, keeping a socially acceptable distance. It was far for friends, but Izuku would take what he could get. They just stood and stared at each other. Katsuki was waiting for Izuku to make a move. Izuku was revelling at this situation.

(And of course, some classmates were eavesdropping from various hiding spots. Iida even dragged Shinsou into it (because they were friends, he claimed). Izuku had made such a big deal out of this that curiosity strangled them.)

"Kacchan," Izuku started and stopped.

"Izuku," Katsuki replied.

"Kacchan, what happened?"

"I don't understand."

"We used to be such good friends, and now we're like strangers. What happened?"

"Oh. That."

"Yes. That."

"I figured it to be the best solution." His answer broke Izuku.

"What do you mean by solution? What was the problem?" Izuku's voice was increasing in volume.

"I feel bad when I'm with you," Katsuki stated with such conviction, Izuku was about to shatter into a million sad pieces.

"_What_?" A whisper. As if all the air in his body had abandoned him.

"What?" Katsuki couldn't hear him. And all of a sudden, the fight in Izuku burst. He was desperate for answers and a long ago friendship. He took large steps toward his childhood friend, grasping him by the shoulders.

"What? I don't understand either!" Izuku cried. He could feel tears forming already. "Please explain so I can understand! I want to know why you're hurt! I want to know _you_! I want to know how to fix this!" His yelling and crying and shaking was getting to Katsuki. His friend was beginning to shake from restrained energy. Another shake would undo him completely.

"Kacchan, you were my everything back then, so please, just let me back in!"

And the carefully built dam of indifference that cocooned Katsuki cracked.

"BECAUSE I'M NOT YOU!" he screamed. Izuku was momentarily taken aback.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE NOT ME!?"

"EVERYONE WANTS ME TO BE YOU! YOU'RE PERFECT! YOU'RE GOOD! YOU'RE A HERO! I'M NOT! I'M FUCKING DISGUSTING AND BAD AND A FUCKING VILLAIN!" Katsuki was full on sobbing now. "I wanted to be like you, but I was never good enough. Whenever I'm with you, people start comparing us and I hate that. So I thought you wouldn't want someone like _me _getting compared to you and left you alone."

Izuku looked… well, for a lack of better word, he looked angry. Not at Katsuki, of course not. But at himself. At the world. At the traitorous words that cut his friend down to nothing.

Katsuki had one more thing to say.

"Why won't people love me?"

Izuku wondered where he'd gone wrong for this to happen.

* * *

Note: cool cool cool. I didn't know what the write after this point so here it is.


	3. Part 3

This part is somewhat out of order and can be confusing. Sorry.

My Hero Academia belongs to Kōhei Horikoshi. I am not profiting from this. Thanks for reading.

* * *

**Part 3**

Kimura Mitsuki was a successful career woman. She had money, power, influence. People wanted to be her.

Kimura Mitsuki knew what she was. And what she was not.

"Perfect" never belonged to her.

* * *

As a little girl, Mitsuki lived with her father and her twin sister. They lived above an ever popular noodle restaurant. It was always loud and busy, so the Kimura family resorted to shouting to be heard. She carried her voice unknowingly.

She and her sister were similar in temperament, spending their days, hand in hand, pulling silly little pranks on the tourists in downtown. No one really knew the reason, but Mitsuki was convinced what happened next was due to one prank too many.

There were police tapes in the streets with her sweet sister in the center. It was the day before their tenth birthday.

Her father never stopped grieving, the storm cloud of misery hiding his other daughter from his mind. The man became rougher and tougher, encouraging Mitsuki to be the same. To hide her emotions behind a facade of confidence and danger. Told her meekness gets you killed. Told her to be the strongest and the best, secure a spot at the top so no one will dare to spark her ire. So that's what Mitsuki did. Donning her mask, locking up childhood naivety and silly smiles far in the recess of her mind, she promised to be strong.

Her father had never really hugged her or kissed her or said he loved her. He was all messy hair ruffles and slaps on the back and "That's my little brat!" After the incident, Mitsuki felt she was living with a stranger who stole her father's face. Hearing her classmates talk about their families made her feeling inadequate. That maybe Mitsuki just wasn't good enough for those gentle hugs and kind words and soft eyes. With all that in mind, Mitsuki walked home, planning all the ways to make her father proud. She just wanted him to look at her.

A crime scene welcomed her home. It was the day before her fourteenth birthday.

Kimura Mitsuki didn't want to let him go. So she carried his name and all his habits through life, becoming that dangerous, confident woman he wanted her to be.

* * *

When little Katsuki was born, Mitsuki's elation died quickly to make way for dread. She ruined everything she touched. She had no kind words in her voice. She could barely even get up in the morning.

Mitsuki didn't want to ruin her precious little baby, but she didn't know what to do. She never knew what to do.

Kimura Mitsuki only had her father to follow.

* * *

When the Midoriyas moved in, Mitsuki thought, 'Oh. They're so mild. And emotional. And open. People will hurt them. Oh no…'

Izuku and Katsuki became friends. Kind of. When they were together, she noticed the attention the kids got. Izuku was the angel and Katsuki was the not-angel. He reminded her of herself in some ways. Mitsuki was never that popular in her youth.

She didn't want Katsuki to turn out like her, because as much as she feared the emotional vulnerability of the Midoriyas, they were inherently better than her. So she made Izuku his role model. Not that it worked out very well. The Bakugou family stopped talking about the Midoriyas when Katsuki hid his face.

Mitsuki hated herself. She couldn't do anything right.

She didn't know how to love properly. (Honestly, none of them did.)

* * *

The general public gave her a persona. To the public, she was some kind of aloof queen who always got what she wished. Someone no one had the guts to say 'no' to. She didn't mind what the people said. Her heart would always belong to her family.

And she saw the hesitance in her husband, the second guessing in her son. It scared her. That she did something wrong. Without knowing how to fix it, she could only hope they accepted the love she poured out in their meals, the cleanliness of their home, the best of the best for her beloved. They never seemed to notice, and what was little Mitsuki to do but be better?

* * *

Katsuki came home one day, commenting on his participation in the sports festival. Both Mitsuki and Masaru were surprised. The kid could be loud, but that didn't mean he loved being the center of attention. He didn't say much on that, so the two loving parents smiled and didn't push.

Masaru was very sad he had to be out of the country when it broadcasted, but Mitsuki assured him she'd record it. So she took that day off to watch her child fly across the screen, pretty sparks trailing after him. He was marvelous, being a hero-in-training, being someone _great_. She watched with wide eyes and childish admiration. Katsuki was always so amazing in her eyes.

* * *

She ended up destroying the recording by the end of the main event. It horrified her to even imagine the idea of what had happened at the end. Masaru shouldn't have to see that. Nothing computed in her head as she sat blankly in front of the television until her son came home. And when that door swung open to reveal her boy, a rush of anger and distress overcame her like a tsunami. She couldn't say anything as she ran to hold him in her arms. Immediately returning the embrace, Katsuki sobbed into her chest. It was guttural. Mitsuki felt something break.

They somehow ended up under the kitchen table. By the time Katsuki had stopped crying, she had wrangled enough brain cells together to form real coherent thoughts again.

"My baby boy, those people hurt you."

"I don't want to go back."

"You never have to go back there."

"But I have to be a hero."

"There are plenty of other schools."

"But UA is the best."

"You don't need to be the best. This world doesn't deserve you."

"I just... want you to be proud of me."

"I'm already so so so proud of you."

"Okay."

* * *

Katsuki went back to UA.

Mitsuki went too. And she raised hell and rained fury on those people who dared to even _look_ at her baby.

The school issued a formal apology to one Bakugou Katsuki. He was more confused than anything, unsure of how to respond, so he carried on his day distraught.

Mitsuki wasn't satisfied, but she relented, knowing causing too much trouble will only bring unnecessary attention and stress back to her little Katsudon. But UA was still on her shit list. It will always be a stain in her heart.

* * *

The day after Katsuki's confrontation with Izuku was another school day, and with it, another lunch gathering. All normal and not out of the norm at all. At least, it was supposed to be. Tenya and Hitoshi told him they heard the Conversation ™. Katsuki didn't know how to react so he shovelled whatever was in his lunchbox. It was really good. (Of course it's really good. Mom made it. And she's a better cook than him _and_ dad.) It distracted him long enough to think of something to say.

"Mmh?" What a clever response.

His two friends assured him nothing in their relationship would change. That was good. He could keep this routine, this something familiar. Especially after having to deal with half the class looking at him quietly that morning. It was unnerving. Izuku wasn't looking at him, which was good, because the green boy had those crazy eyes. The ones that meant he was thinking a million outlandish theories at once and is rendered dead to the world until he snaps out of it.

It was only morning but Katsuki wished the day would end immediately. Really, the vibe in that room was freaky.

* * *

Monoma Neito had a friendly smile and warm eyes.

Just kidding.

He really didn't. He had an easy smile that whispered deceit and guarded eyes that hid his intentions. People didn't like him. He was a nasty kind of guy. The kind that cheats and lies and fights dirty to get what they want. Neito will admit it. He's a nasty kind of guy. What can he say? He's a freak. People talked in hushed tones, making bets on when he'll turn to villainy. They could talk all they wanted. Because Neito will only prove them all wrong, and he will stand at the top _and stay there_.

Unfortunately, he was still in school, still in training, still in class 1-B. Still at the bottom. His unpopularity also pushed his status as the class loner. Not that he minded. He's a nasty guy! And guys like that function fine without friends and the like. Neito was happy the way he was. He told himself every day, every hour.

But maybe he wanted some companions. You know, for entertainment! Definitely not friends or anything. Really. Whenever he looked over the roof's edge, he saw the three loners sitting together (if they're together, are they still loners?). Neito only watched them from above as they sometimes laughed and played games together. He didn't need that.

He didn't.

At all.

* * *

"Sup, Monoma Neito here, at your service," he introduced himself. He hoped he did well. Not that it mattered!

"Who the fuck are you?" Bakugou asked.

"Katsuki-kun, he said he is Monoma Neito," Iida answered dutifully. Shinsou turned to Neito like he was looking at a camera in some sitcom. His face read 'You see the shit I put up with almost daily?'

"I- ahem. I was scouting out the competition when I noticed your little group of clowns fooling around here, and thought I'd just enjoy the show from upfront." Bakugou and Iida took it at face value, both looking at him like _he_ was the clown. Shinsou recognized his front though. Of course he did. They were both lonely outcasts with proper knowledge of social nuances.

Monoma Neito fit like he belonged. And that… felt nice. It was nice. And knowing the fact his presence changed a trio to a quartet made him feel like he could vomit cotton candy and cry rainbows. It was really gross, but still nice.

* * *

One day, Tenya began their lunch with a simple observation.

"I have noticed this friend group is all boys. Is this what the kids mean by 'boys club'?" he asked. Hitoshi paused, wondering how long an explanation would take and if it was worth spending that time talking instead of eating.

"No- This isn't- I don't think-" he didn't even know where to begin, vaguely aware of how far Tenya's social ineptitude reached.

"Damn. I always wanted to be in a club." Katsuki looked in awe.

"Yes. This is a boys club," Neito replied with his dumb smile.

"No. Stop-"

"Now we need a name for our club." That bastard Neito looked way too satisfied with himself. Hitoshi just wanted a day without headaches. Rare now that Katsuki and Tenya were being enabled by the bastard.

Katsuki's voice rang triumphantly, "We are the MFU."

"What does MFU stand for?" Tenya asked.

"Mother Fuckers United"

"No," three voices deadpanned in unison.

* * *

After school that very day, the temporarily named FAC (Frontline Assholes Coalition) went out to experience the joys of having friends.

They visited the arcade, making fools of themselves trying to perfect their footwork. They played so many rhythm games and shooting games trying to get on the highscore leaderboard that their visions spun with brightly saturated lights.

They tried their luck at crane machines, not stopping until all four boys had a matching keychain. The charms were honestly very ugly, but it didn't stop them from clipping them on their school bags.

They went to the cutest cafe for dessert and proceeded to order the most obnoxious looking shit on the menu. And of course, to celebrate the occasion, took the world's most serious selfie.

To finish it all off, they took pictures at the photo booth. Tenya refused to let them out until they stuck at least one photo sticker on their phone cases.

The FAC had experienced all the fun they had previously missed out on. The best part was, it was only the first of many.

* * *

The rush of bright and colorful lights of the day came to an end as Katsuki walked through the doorway of his home. His outing may have ended, but his heart was still giddy and excited. Mitsuki noticed.

"Where's dad?" Katsuki asked as he set his bag beside the table (carefully, as he didn't want to scratch his new charm).

"He's running a little late, but he'll be back soon," Mitsuki replied from the kitchen. She finished up the dishes before turning to face her son. "How was your day?"

Katsuki, so full of unexplainable emotions, simply showed off his phone case. It proudly displayed, right in the center, four boys in various states of chaos topped off with cutesy decorations. The caption in the corner read 'UA's cutest MFs.'

"What's MF?"

"Mofo. Tenya didn't like that, but it wasn't his turn to decorate." Katsuki looked up from the photo to his mother's face. The smile she gave him was one he didn't have a name for. It looked like how Izuku used to smile at Aunty Inko. A big smile full of adoration and … and love.

Midnight had once mentioned people spoke in different ways. Some with words, some with actions, so on and so forth. And that was why direct communication was important. It got him thinking maybe mom spoke in a way he could not hear. So he gathered his courage, all or nothing.

"Mom, I love you." Mitsuki looked startled, and before his boldness left, Katsuki breathed out all at once, "Do you love me?"

The expression on her face almost broke him. It looked like that broken something in dad's eyes. The thing that stares back in the mirror.

Masaru entered the building with an apology on his lips, "Sorry I'm la-"

He saw his wife and child both laying face down on the kitchen floor weeping and quietly wailing. It was a very alarming night.

* * *

Katsuki had been very excited by the notion of a Test of Courage. Not even being paired up with Todoroki could bring his mood down. Now he's kneeling on a hard floor, wondering what the hell even happened in the last few hours, ecstasy plummeting at a constant rate. There was some fog and some kid and something sharp and some weirdo and- Actually, the forest was on fire if he recalled correctly. Like, blazing up to heaven. They were going to need a lot of help managing and dealing with the aftermath of… whatever happened.

Wait, nevermind all that! Where the fuck was he? And why did that guy slap him? Rude?

"Bakugou Katsuki," the weirdo stopped monologuing when he noticed Katsuki wasn't listening. "I'll get straight to the point. I like everything about you. I really love how evil and menacing and _villainous _you are. You are-" Katsuki stopped listening again.

There was something very jarring when his peers called him villainous. But there was something very repulsive when a grown-ass adult villain called him villainous. It made his skin crawl, made his shoulders tense up to his ears. He felt _disgusting_.

He wondered if rescue was coming.

* * *

"SENSEI, WE HAVE TO GO AFTER THEM THEY HAVE KACCHAN AND THEY'RE GONNA HURT HIM AND-" Aizawa shoved a hand in Midoriya's face, forcing the child to stop his panicked word vomiting.

"Midoriya, calm down. We need to address the current situation first. The fire and search and rescue need-"

"SENSEI, KATSUKI-KUN IS GONE WHAT IF HE DIES?!"

"Iida, calm down."

Aizawa's stress meter shot up through the sky. As much as class 1-A was a headache and more, he cared for the kids beyond occupational obligations. And Bakugou was honestly a very pleasant student. He understood the students' concerns, but the villains had caused way too much trouble that required immediate attention. A quick phone call even confirmed other locations linked to these same villains, hoping to cause chaos and buy time for themselves. At that point in time, Aizawa could do very little.

* * *

Katsuki wondered if rescue was coming for approximately four seconds.

Because Mitsuki didn't raise a fool, and Masaru definitely didn't raise a defenseless extra.

Dad's words, not his.

* * *

Masaru was a mild mannered, pleasant man. He was also a very secretive man. Most people didn't even know he and Mitsuki were married.

As a child, he was a completely different person. Little Masaru was all silent disdain and cruel jokes. He grew up with four older siblings that all picked on him for absolutely no reason. They never got physical, but their words always stung, so he learned to hide and be quiet so they wouldn't notice few times he did speak up, it was full of spite and curses. When he turned fifteen, in an odd show of human decency, his four siblings scrounged up what they could to gift him a balisong. Which was useful. It was a real dump where they lived.

It wasn't very surprising when Masaru found himself in a kidnapping situation. It was quite common (the situation, not his involvement). He was simply out playing in the abandoned warehouse when he heard the voices of garbage and the crying of a child. This child Masaru knew very well. It was the asshole who pushed him off a bridge six years back. Of course, no one was too hurt, the bridge being low and the ground free of debris. But the asshole's stupid cackling grated on his nerves. And he remembered that day very clearly.

It didn't take a genius to see the two trash bags masquerading as humans were not the brightest of the bunch. In no time, he had them out the building, at which point Masaru dropped a brick or two on their heads. They didn't die so it was okay. That's what all his siblings told him. ('It's not murder if they don't die,' his sister said, shoving a glass shard in her rival's leg for emphasis. 'Cops here only care for murder, so don't you worry.') He swiped their phones, wallets, and cuff key before walking back inside to set the asshole free. Using his knife to cut the binds, Masaru jerked the kid up by the elbow not very gently.

"Holy shit, so fucking happy you're here," asshole said as tape was violently ripped from the mouth. "You got the key, right? Hurry up and get them off me!"

Masaru, being a brat, only smiled and waved the key in front of his face.

"You want it?" he teased.

"Wha- Yes! The hell you doing?!"

"Then go fetch, _dog_." Masaru sprinted to the low bridge and tossed the key into the brush. That look of pure disbelief on the asshole's face was just priceless. It was just so funny. It made him laugh, even when he was taken hostage by some other trash bags. He even laughed through the beating they gave him. It was _that_ funny.

* * *

The day after his high school graduation, Masaru packed up and left, started a new life with a new name with a new personality. He wanted nothing to do with that violent world he grew up in. Wanted nothing to do with his bloody past.

Bakugou Masaru was a weary man with a penchant for normalcy.

* * *

"Hey, you… You. Villain," Katsuki called for attention to the guy that monologued but couldn't remember the name of that fucker.

"At least remember my name! It's-" The guy looked offended. Get in line, guy. Katsuki wasn't great with names. You're not that special.

"Whatever. I'll think about your offer, but I can't think with you and your posse staring at me. Fucking creepy. And give me some space, dammit! I got a lungful of smoke thanks to you fuckwads starting fires and shit."

The group of weirdos were stupidly accommodating. They threw him in an empty locked room with Quirk suppressing cuffs. Great. He could do without the cuffs, but dad had armed him since a very young age. Masaru was a paranoid and somewhat neurotic man. He absolutely refused to let Katsuki run around without a weapon. He'd even personally created Katsuki's clothes to fit as many hidden pockets as possible. (Izuku had been amazed when his friend magically produced a knife from seemingly nowhere.)

And escaping? Child's play. Katsuki could pretend it was merely another game he used to play with his dad. The game was called "Escape this locked abandoned building by yourself because if daddy could do it Katsuki can too". It wasn't actually called that, but that's what Katsuki always thought of it as.

* * *

"OKAY. NOW THAT EVERYTHING IS UNDER CONTROL AND EVERYONE (EXCEPT KACCHAN) IS ACCOUNTED FOR AND TREATED CAN WE GO AFTER HIM?!" Izuku was surprised at his ability to even breathe. He'd been in a state of pure terror for the last few days. Never in his life had he wished he had his license as much as that moment. Aizawa-sensei looked like he was about to drop from exhaustion. Made sense, considering the man was running on tar coffee and adrenaline alone.

"You're still a student and-" the teacher started before he was interrupted by a police officer rushing up to him.

"ERASERHEAD THE KID CUFFS KNIFE HEAD KNIFE ROOM KID HELL-" It appeared the officer was also running on tar coffee and adrenaline, but decided to crash at that exact moment.

* * *

"KACCHAN OH MY GOD YOU'RE HERE I THOUGHT YOU OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED OH MY GOD KACCHAN THIS ISN'T FUNNY KACCHAN-" Izuku was a mess as he sobbed next to his friend. Said friend, Katsuki, merely watched on and listened with poorly veiled amusement. He was very fortunate the villains didn't frisk him. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have gotten out, walked away, taken a taxi, and arrived at UA in search of Recovery Girl.

Izuku was just being dramatic.

"I SWEAR KACCHAN THIS IS SERIOUS DON'T EVEN THINK FOR A SECOND I'M OVERREACTING THIS IS-"

* * *

Aizawa Shouta just wanted to curl up in his actual bed and hibernate. The whole kidnapping debacle was highly unnecessary and traumatizing for everyone involved. That aside, Principal Nedzu was putting more funds into finishing the dorms as soon as possible. Living in the dormitory would encourage further interaction among the students and have them close and under surveillance for safety.

As a homeroom teacher, he had so graciously been bestowed upon the duty of visiting every student's household to discuss with their guardians.

It was evening, and he was on his last stop. Bakugou's place. He waited until the end, partly because he didn't want to face his parents just yet. What was he to do? He let their kid get taken from his supervision! But he had to face it. With a heavy sigh, Shouta walked up to the door and gave a quick knock. It opened to reveal a vague approximate of Bakugou's clone.

"Can I help you?" the clone asked.

"Aizawa Shouta, hero, homeroom teacher for UA class 1-A," he promptly answered. The clone's eyes gained a hard edge.

"Come in."

* * *

Shouta could confidently say even his apartment looked more lived in than the Bakugou's place. The clone turned out to be the mother, Mitsuki. She led him to the living area as she called her husband and started on tea.

Looking around the immaculate place, the teacher noticed an out-of-place bookshelf. It was full of little trinkets and figurines and even what he would consider trash. It was strange with its violently saturated colors in the relatively monochromatic interior.

"That's the family shelf," a voice spoke. "I'm Masaru, Katsuki's father." The man had a dangerous lilt in his voice. Yes, the Bakugou parents were decidedly not happy with UA. Couldn't blame them, not one bit.

* * *

In all his years of being an underground hero, Shouta had never been in a more nerve-biting situation than there in the Bakugou home. Both parents were the immovable forces that surrounded their little prince between them. It was kinda scary.

"Your school is on strike two." The calm in Mitsuki's voice dripped with poison and hissed promise of pain. Masaru's blank slate of a face, light glaring off his glasses, was just as malicious. Glancing at Katsuki, Shouta felt a tad bit jealous of the boy's oblivious nonchalance.

"Ultimately, it's up to Katsuki," Masaru spoke up, first time since his introduction. The man was analyzing Shouta more than the discussion, and it was quite disturbing.

Katsuki's neutral gaze didn't change as his eyes dragged up to meet his teacher's.

"Damn, teach. When's the last time you slept?"

"Katsuki, were you focusing on the conversation?" Shouta tried to keep on track.

"Yeah. Sure. I'll go. The dorm thing." Three pairs of eyebrows raised.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Okay…" Shouta trailed off, glad to have their cooperation but very unsettled by Mitsuki's hand signs vowing vengeance should anything go wrong again.

* * *

"Katsuki, you be good, okay?" Mitsuki fussed over the boy. Katsuki let her. "You can call us any time. And you can come home whenever you want, okay?"

"Okee."

Masaru didn't say much, but his arms were warm.

"They say third time's the charm, right?" Katsuki asked for confirmation.

"Who's 'they'?" Mitsuki questioned.

"I don't know. Like, you know. People."

"You be who you are. You're not people. You're my brat, You're Bakugou Katsuki!"

"Hell yeah I am!"

Katsuki grabbed his bags and turned to enter school grounds once more, and if his gaze lingered on his parents a second longer than usual…

only the Bakugous had to know.


End file.
